Is Bovada Legit?

I know the Wizard and the new Wizard has a deal with Bovada to promote and approve them, so I am sure that the mods will soon lock this.

But, how legit are they?

I recently made a Bovada account (I am not currently living in NJ, so I cannot gamble in my usual state approved and regulated online casinos). I deposited 2 separate deposits one of 100 USD and one of 200 USD. On my bank statement both deposits are labelled as "Shrinkhut.com" , what is up with this?

Also, I turned by 300 USD into 2.1k, the only withdraw options are "Check by Courier" or "Bitcoin Withdraw". I wanted the American currency, so I requested a check.

Is it just me or is this very suspicious? What kind of casino does not offer ACH withdraws, disguises their statement names, and encourages bitcoin (discounts)? It just seems very suspicious to me? Is it a safe bet that no check will ever arrive?

Quote: Gandler

I know the Wizard and the new Wizard has a deal with Bovada to promote and approve them, so I am sure that the mods will soon lock this.

But, how legit are they?

I recently made a Bovada account (I am not currently living in NJ, so I cannot gamble in my usual state approved and regulated online casinos). I deposited 2 separate deposits one of 100 USD and one of 200 USD. On my bank statement both deposits are labelled as "Shrinkhut.com" , what is up with this?

Also, I turned by 300 USD into 2.1k, the only withdraw options are "Check by Courier" or "Bitcoin Withdraw". I wanted the American currency, so I requested a check.

Is it just me or is this very suspicious? What kind of casino does not offer ACH withdraws, disguises their statement names, and encourages bitcoin (discounts)? It just seems very suspicious to me? Is it a safe bet that no check will ever arrive?

If I knew you personally, assuming you followed all the terms and conditions, I would be willing to buy you out for $1,700. The right price is probably much higher.

Of course, they hide the name of their payment processors and bank. It's illegal for US banks to process money from unregulated online casinos. Also, people might not want their family to know what they are up to. Your bank may or may not have to put a hold on the check and send it to collections.

Bovada is legit. Wizard approved too.

Although what you listed is, indeed, suspicious, it's par for the course when dealing with online casinos. Except no wire option, I can't answer that.

Please reconsider your position on bitcoins. Payout should be significantly faster and transactions fees should be less than 5%. This is high, but whatever, worth it for the speed imo. Many trustworthy online books/casinos are offering generous bitcoin bonuses - it's the easiest $ option for me.

What kind of a casino does not offer ACH withdraw?

Are you f!#/ing kidding me? Which truck did you just fall off of?

Quote: sabre

What kind of a casino does not offer ACH withdraw?

Oh boy. Why did you have to do that? Members are trying to answer in good faith and you let rip with that. Expect a suspension unless you quickly edit that post.

Payment processors are often separate entities. Sometimes online casinos use Non Delivery Merchant accounts for credit card transactions wherein card transactions are electronically viewed as a purchase of a piece of furniture rather than a payment from a player to a casino.

hmmmm, ok, attacking the content instead of the poster is the rule, hmmmmmmmm

well, seems to me the content in the OP that shows complete and abysmal ignorance of the fact that online gambling is basically not viewed as a legitimate activity in the US* was something to behold.

What is less surprising is that such remarkable cluelessness was followed up by ignorance of the site rules - or an impulsive blast in disregard of those rules.

I predict no one will offer the proper odds in a any proposed bet that the OP will start to provide apologetic content indicating a mea culpa is due for not doing his homework. ACH withdrawal indeed! The proper odds would make trifecta odds look small on three long shots.

*yes, technically the players are not engaged in an illegal activity, the law prosecutes US banks instead. Seems to me anyone should realize the choice to also prosecute players was rejected due to the daunting prospect of trying to go after millions of such people

Quote: odiousgambit

hmmmm, ok, attacking the content instead of the poster is the rule, hmmmmmmmm

(Snip)

*yes, technically the players are not engaged in an illegal activity, the law prosecutes US banks instead. Seems to me anyone should realize the choice to also prosecute players was rejected due to the daunting prospect of trying to go after millions of such people

Amazing how many past or presently illegal things share the same problem: unenforceable due to the sheer number of those who want to have or do it.

IOW, another stupid prohibition that would not only harm no one, but improve the industry if it were legal and regulated. Not to mention the money the govt could make from doing so.

IMO, bovada is legit... though like any other online site they make it "hoops and a bit difficult" to get your money if you actually win... all you need is a card to deposit, but if you actually win and want money back then you have to submit ID, card(s), utility bills, and heaven forbid you've moved in the last X years since you created your account because then your withdraw is just on HOLD for months while you get that sorted out... all the meanwhile they will NEVER stop you from gambling and canceling your withdraw to continue playing. Typical predatory casino stuff, just amplified a bit online, but at the end of the day if you jump through the hoops, yeah usually they're at least a fairly solid site (unlike tons of others).

Quote: Romes

IMO, bovada is legit... though like any other online site they make it "hoops and a bit difficult" to get your money if you actually win... all you need is a card to deposit, but if you actually win and want money back then you have to submit ID, card(s), utility bills, and heaven forbid you've moved in the last X years since you created your account because then your withdraw is just on HOLD for months while you get that sorted out... all the meanwhile they will NEVER stop you from gambling and canceling your withdraw to continue playing. Typical predatory casino stuff, just amplified a bit online, but at the end of the day if you jump through the hoops, yeah usually they're at least a fairly solid site (unlike tons of others).

Bovada usually didn't request you to submit ID, card(s), utility bills, even for new players, unless they suspected something. I have no idea what triggered their security check, but winning didn't seem to be a factor. No activity for a long period of time then a sudden cashout would, in fact, trigger them to as for verification.

Quote: sabre

What kind of a casino does not offer ACH withdraw?

Are you f!#/ing kidding me? Which truck did you just fall off of?

I have never seen a legal online casino without ACH options......

Ok, so I have another question, I played again tonight and turned 300 dollars once again into slightly over 2k (this seems to be my lucky deposit amount lol). I again elected cash out by courier. So I am now really hoping that this is legit.

But, my question is this, what does delivery by courier mean? Is it just a fancy way to say that they mail the check to you? Or is it an actual courier service where you have to meet the courier and sign for it?

Has anyone else had a check couriered to them from this site?

Quote: Gandler

I have never seen a legal online casino without ACH options......

Do you want a cookie?

Quote: sabre

Do you want a cookie?

Yes, but I also want my questions answered :)

Quote: Gandler

Ok, so I have another question, I played again tonight and turned 300 dollars once again into slightly over 2k . . .
Yes, but I also want my questions answered :)

Ok,. First off, congratulations on your good fortune.

I sincerely hope you have not fallen into any sort of bonus trap: Most online casinos offer extremely generous sounding bonuses such as 'Deposit $200, play with $500'. But they are almost always laced with dreadful terms and conditions such as 'You must wager 300 times the bonus amount before you can withdraw a cent' or worse: 'If you attempt to withdraw before meeting any bonus requirements, you forfeit all winnings and bonus'

That said, in answer to your question: Bovada have a reputation on par with their peers. Some suspect they are a bit crooked in some ways, but there has not been conclusive evidence posted on this forum. As I understand it, Wizard, (who can be trusted) trusts them enough to endorse them.

But. In your land of freedom, such casinos operate on the very fringe of what is legal. They have to play silly games to transfer funds back to you, because that is the most 'shady' part of their enterprise in the eyes of your legal authorities.

YOU are best placed to determine if you should trust them. The acid test is to wait until you receive your winnings. To deposit more or play more, before they pass that test is ill advised.

Maybe YOU will be the one to answer the question, when some other newbie asks it.

Quote: OnceDear

Ok,. First off, congratulations on your good fortune.

I sincerely hope you have not fallen into any sort of bonus trap: Most online casinos offer extremely generous sounding bonuses such as 'Deposit $200, play with $500'. But they are almost always laced with dreadful terms and conditions such as 'You must wager 300 times the bonus amount before you can withdraw a cent' or worse: 'If you attempt to withdraw before meeting any bonus requirements, you forfeit all winnings and bonus'

That said, in answer to your question: Bovada have a reputation on par with their peers. Some suspect they are a bit crooked in some ways, but there has not been conclusive evidence posted on this forum. As I understand it, Wizard, (who can be trusted) trusts them enough to endorse them.

But. In your land of freedom, such casinos operate on the very fringe of what is legal. They have to play silly games to transfer funds back to you, because that is the most 'shady' part of their enterprise in the eyes of your legal authorities.

YOU are best placed to determine if you should trust them. The acid test is to wait until you receive your winnings. To deposit more or play more, before they pass that test is ill advised.

Maybe YOU will be the one to answer the question, when some other newbie asks it.

Yeah, you are right, I should have waited until I received my first check (and cleared it), but I got bored sitting at home last night (on call) and let my impulses get the best of me.

Bonus is not an issue since I played through the bonus on my first deposit (Bovada only lets you withdraw if your bonus terms are met) and used no bonus on my second, so that should not be a hang up. My first withdraw was approved and is supposedly on the way (we will see), I am still waiting for my 2nd withdraw to be approved (they said approx 48 hours approval wait time).


I have no problems with any of the games, they all seem pretty fair (as fair as any casino game can be), my only qualm is with their withdrawal options.
But, you are right, I guess now it is just a waiting game.

Thank-you.

Quote: Gandler

But, my question is this, what does delivery by courier mean? Is it just a fancy way to say that they mail the check to you? Or is it an actual courier service where you have to meet the courier and sign for it?

Usually it means FedEx delivery, signature required.

Quote: Gandler

Bonus is not an issue since I played through the bonus on my first deposit (Bovada only lets you withdraw if your bonus terms are met)

For my own curiosity, what were the bonus terms and what game and strategy did you apply to work through them?

Quote:

But, you are right, I guess now it is just a waiting game.

A classic beginner error, and one that shady casinos enjoy is helping you to get bored and allowing/encouraging you to cancel/reverse a withdrawal, so that you play on and end up with nothing to withdraw.

Report back, please on the resolution to this. I wonder if it will be a Canadian bank's cheque?

Here in the UK, most casinos accept and payout funds by paypal or debit card without any charges and scant delay. The one I currently use sends me my winnings by paypal within 48 hours. . . . And we have no tax implications :o)

They don't accept US sign ups though :o(

Quote: HugoSlavia

Usually it means FedEx delivery, signature required.

Not that it really matters, but I was getting it via DHL. I assume they prosses it once a week and send out the couriers once a week or something like that. If you catch the timing just right one might get the check in as little as 3 days. I wouldn't be concerned until
at least 30 days went by.

Quote: Gandler

Has anyone else had a check couriered to them from this site?

Many people, many times, without an issue.

Don't sweat it.

Well a couple of updates.

Last Tuesday I received the first check. And I got a text this morning that the 2nd check will be delivered tomorrow prior to 1030AM (that was the case last Tuesday, it seems the delivery service sends it out Monday morning and overnights it for Tuesday morning, at least that has been the trend so far, guaranteed delivery prior to 1030AM on TUES.).

Courier delivery (at least for America) seems to just mean Fedex with a signature required (non-direct signature, so they do not check your ID, IE: anyone who is in your house when they knock can sign for it, or if nobody is home and you have the Fedex App and a safe place for them to leave it, you can sign online with instructions).

However, the next hurdle (again for American customers), is that they use a Canadian Bank (Bank of Montreal), so for my bank, I had to mail it to my bank's special foreign check division so that they can put it into collections and then forward it to my account. I do not have a lot of experience with depositing foreign checks, so I have no idea if this is how every major bank does it or not. I have been assured by both my bank and the other end that the check should be fine, it is just a matter or time for the process to unfold (which for my bank can take up to 7 business days). I assume for Canadian customers this is not an issue to worry about.

This check that I receive tomorrow will probably be my last cash withdraw, from now on I will stick to bitcoin for Bovada (unless they eventually offer ACH withdraws). Bitcoin is free (100 fee per check after your free once every 90 days one), and checks are limited to 3k per check whereas bitcoin is always free and 10k limit per withdraw request (I am not sure the maximum withdraw requests per week) . So my advice is, if you play Bovada, use your Bitcoin to both deposit and withdraw (free on both ends, plus, when they have match bonuses, the bitcoin bonuses are higher 150% vs 100% in some cases.....) Anyway, hopefully that will help out others considering trying to play (or considering withdrawal options) for Bovada.

Quote: Gandler

100 fee per check after your free once every 90 days one

Bl006y Hell!
Still, glad you are getting your funds out.